Tuesday, August 09, 2011

This is what i feel after all this endless journey

"Changes you can expect to experience during backpacking."

Before you packed your bag, made an itinerary, or said goodbye to your friends and family : YOU WERE YOU. While maybe one of the reasons you set out on this journey was to do some soul searching, for the most part, you have already defined yourself: funny, shy, trendy, likes to read, likes to write, likes to cook, likes to party, the clothes you wear, or even how you treat other people, all of this is bound to change to some degree while on the road.

Everyone has their own journey, whether it be for one month or one year, or even just for couple of days. No matter the duration, the people you meet, challenges you overcome, and experiences you have will inevitably change you. This isn’t a bad thing, merelya reality check; something to prepare yourself for at the beginning of the trip, or more realistically, at the end. Because it isn’t until you reappear on your home doorstep that the changes all become blindingly obvious.

What kinds of changes exactly are you wondering will take place? Well for the starters, your wardrobe will shift. What was once your favorite old T-shirt somehow got chucked out to make room for all those new beer singlets you’ve picked up along the way. What you once saw as the most hideously huge Hammer pants are now the most comfortable thing you own. And to top it all off, you arm is an ever-increasing collection of ‘jenky’ bracelets that showcase all the memories and good times you’ve had. While these breacelets will look ‘hippie’ and ‘dirty’ to the outside world, you will find yourself fiercely protective of them when returning home, refusing to cut them off as if they were another limb.

Also, your horizon will broaden and things you once disliked might become something you love. From spicy foods to musical taste, you will be exposed to a whole new world of options on the road. Slowly but surely your opinions will change about world politics, places you want to visit, and even what you choose to eat.

Other chanfes will involve your personality. With false information, long bus journeys, and bamboozling of all sorts, you patience is bound to be tested. By the time you return home you will surely find yourself more tolerant of other people and situations. Suddenly that loud-mouthed person on the tube isn’t so annoying; nor is that that seemingly endless line at the market, somehow the little things that used to get under your skin so much barely register on your radar. You’re usually too busy appreciating the conveniences now so abundant that just weren’t available whilist backpacking!

And, one of the most popular changes, yet surprisingly to the individual, is a complete change of direction in life. When setting off for the adventure, you probably saw it as a small opportunity to blow off some steam after graduating, perhaps a short breakfrom a few years of working hard in the real world? No matter the situation, you’ve planned on going home and staying there merely to plan short vacations in the future. But before you return home you find yourself longing for more adventure already and planning your next trip. Perhaps a new destination like South America, or a return to a favorite beach bungalow in Thailand, or even the possibility for a long term work as an English teacher as the mere thought of returning to the ‘real world’ becomes frightening. This is the big sign that something major has shifted within you. For all the travelers this is natural, common, and nothing to be afraid of. But to your friends and family back home this is terrifying. They might be actually lose you to this mysterious and foreign world that you call backpacking and this is disconcerting.

But then there is that one side effect rarely talked about but massively important: INSPIRATION. While you friends back home might become jealous or bitter about your disappearance and constant upbeat status updates, you might have just inspired some to venture out into the unknown themselves. You make it seem so effortless and fun, why can’t they do it? LOL. Travelling long-term is a foreign concept to many people and something never to consider doing alone. But if they know someone who’s done it that can offer advice, experience and possible companionship, well, why not take the leap themselves?

No matter what, throughout your life you style will alter, opinions mature, and preferences modify. This journey is just another step of growing up and while the transformation within yourself can be surprising and unexpected, it’s the inspiration you offer to others that make the big difference. BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS THIS JOURNEY BOUND TO CHANGE YOU, YOU ARE BOUND TO CHANGE THE WORLD.